Feank corner



(No Model.) I

V F. GO HNEN. MAUHINE FOR CLEANING PEATHERS AND SEPARATING THE DOWNTHEREFROM.

Patented Jan. 2, 1883.

N. PETERS, HwkrLilhcgnpber. Whhingkm. nu

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK GOHNEN, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALE 'ro HORACETURNER, or SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING FEATHE RS AND SEPARAT ING THE DOWN THEREFROM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,180, dated January2, 1883.

Application filed J one 16, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK CoHNEN, of Detroit, in the county of \Vayneand State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful improvement inMachines for Cleaning Feathers and Separatingthe Down therefrom, ofwhich the following is a specification. i

Figurel is a side elevation of my invention with a portion of thedrying-cylinder and fancase broken away. Fig-s2 and 4 are left and rightend views of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on-line y 3 Fig. 1.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficientmachine for steaming and drying feathers and for separatingthe downtherefrom as the feathers are discharged from the machine.

The object of my invention I accomplish by the mechanismillustrated inthe accompanying drawings, which I will now proceed to describe-indetail.

D represents the bars of a cylindrical cage, having one end closed, S,and having on its upper side a hopper, A. The open end of this cage isattached to one end of adoublewalled cylinder, B, and to the other endof the cylinder B is attached one side of a fan-case, C, which I preferto makelarger in diameter than cylinder 13. Suitable legs,f, support thecage.

and cylinder. A shaft, 0, runs through the center of the cage-cylinderand fan-case, and is journaled in suitable bearings, F F. In said shaltO are fastened a number of pins, 1%, which are preferably of wood, andof such length that the shaft and pins will just revolve freely in thecage and cylinder and extend the whole length of the cage and cylinder.Pins it are so set'in shaft 0 that they form a spiral thread around saidshaft, as clearly shown in Fig. l. A pulley, P, secured to one end ofshaft 0, serves to transmit power thereto.

a K are the arms and vanes of a rotary fan, hung on shalt O and rotatingin fan-case O.

The sideof fan-case O which is attached to cylinder 13 is open, and isprovided with a damper by which it can be partially orwholly closed, andthere is acen'tral opening in the other side of said fan-case, which isprovided with dampers by which it can be opened or closed.

G is the eduction-pipe of fan-case G.

E isa steam-pipe, divided into two branches which pass lengthwise, underthe cage, and

are perforated so as to discharge steam into the cage. Steam isalsoadmitted into the space W between the walls of cylinder B, so as to keepsaid cylinder warm.

The feathers to be operated upon are fed into hopper A and fall into thecage. There they are beaten by the pins on shaft 0, which is revolved atas high speed as will not injure the feathers (about three hundredrevolutions per minute,)-and are steamed by the steam from pipes E. Thedirt and dust which are thus removed from the feathers fall through barsD. The spiral row of pins It carries the feathersfrom the cage into thehot cylinder D, where the feathers are dried, and thence into thefan-case G, from which they are forcibly ejected through the mouth oreduction-pipe G.

The blast of air from the fan separates the down from the rest of thefeathers, and the feathers fall to the floor at a short distance fromthe machine, while the lighter down is carried much farther anddeposited entirely clear of the pile of feathers.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a machine for cleaning feathers, the combination of thedrying-cylinder, the steaming-chamber at one end thereof for steamingand delivering the feathers to the drying-cylinder, and a fan-case andblast-fan arranged.

at the other end of the drying-cylinder and receiving the featherstherefrom, said feathers being discharged from the fan-case and the downblown off by the action of the air-blast, substantially in the mannerand for the pur pose described.

2. In a feather-machine, the combination of a cage in which feathers maybe steamed,

set forth.

FRANK OOHNEN. 4 Witnesses:

GEO. B. BEMIoK, GEo. H. LOTHROP.

